Anne Arundel School Schedule Decision Called 'Unfortunate'

Anne Arundel County schools were open as normal today, despite warnings of freezing rain and ice.

Many other schools, including the city, went on a 2 hour delay. Charles County, for instance, well south of Anne Arundel, even closed.

Bob Mosier defended the decision but said it was "unfortunate" on Maryland's Morning News.

"The storm was supposed to go north of us,"Mosier said. "[When] some of the ice began to form the busses were already on the road."

He said things were already in motion.

"We're not in a position where we can say the high schools are going to open on time and everyone else is going to be late because of the way the busses work."

Mosier said parents need to make decisions about their children's safety, and intimated that the schools would take the road conditions into account in that case.

"We'll make the adjustments accordingly," he said.

Hear Audio: Bob Mosier of the Anne Arundel County school system answered questions about the school delay decision on Maryland's Morning News.

Statement from Anne Arundel County school system over the signature of Bob Mosier, public information officer:

NOTICE TO PARENTS AND EMPLOYEES:

This morning’s change in the weather pattern put our school system in a difficult predicament with regard to school operations. As we were deliberating this decision between 3 and 4 a.m. today, we received no reports of problems on the roadways. Our discussions with county and state agencies gave us information that road conditions were fine. At that time, incidentally, most other school systems around us were also planning an on-time arrival for students and staff.

The change in weather between 5 and 6 a.m. put us in a difficult position. The complexity of our bus transportation and operational system prevent a change in school operation plans at that point. They also prevent AACPS from having one set of students (high school students, for example), go to school on time and others delayed by two hours.

We made, as we do every day, the most reasonable and prudent decision we could make based on the information we had at the time.

With regard to schools today, students whose parents opt to keep them home or send them in late will be held harmless. Students who do not go to school will be counted as absent, but the absence will be excused and those students will be allowed to make up work. Parents should make the decisions they feel are best for their children without worry that children will be penalized for missing school.

Employees who have difficulty traveling to their work location should contact their supervisor to make arrangements for the work day. Supervisors have been instructed to accommodate those employees who encounter such difficulty.